It is often argued that Sikhs
do not cut their hair so why do they cut their nails. Sikhs only cut
the dead gray part of their nails, not the alive pink/red part. This is
similar to combing and removing dead hair while retaining live hair.
Just like we do not cut the pink/red part of our nails, why should we
cut our perfectly live and healthy hair? If anything dead grey part of
nails should be compared to dandruff or dead hair removed while combing.
In
addition, hair is not a hindrance to anyone. Because hair can be placed
in a bun and kept clean and does perform a number of functions, it is
only practical to realize that keeping hair is not hard. On the other
hand, having long nails is a hindrance to the body. An individual with
long nails cannot functions and do everyday chores comfortably. In order
to ensure that one can perform the tasks of everyday life, only the
dead part of nails is trimmed.
In addition, whereas the hair
grows from a tubular pit (hair follicle), formed by sinking in of the
most actively dividing layer of the skin (stratum germinativum) into the
lower dermis, the gray part of nails is only modifications of the upper
dead layer (stratum corneum). Further, the base of every follicle
bulges out forming an inverted cup, which receives blood capillaries for
nourishment and nerve fibers to make the hair sensitive. An oil gland,
known as sebaceous gland, opens into every hair follicle, the secretion
of which lubricates the hair. A muscle is also attached to the base of
every hair for bringing about movement. Pigments are added to the shaft
of the hair as it grows. None of these features is associated with the
dead part of nails.
Structurally, hair is extremely strong, and
resists breaking due to its elasticity and flexibility. Strength of hair
can be estimated from the following facts, a human hair laid on a bar
of steel and then passed through a cold rolling mill would leave an
imprint on the face of the steel. A hair of a man’s beard is about as
strong as a copper wire of the same dimensions. If a rope were made out
of strands of long hair, it would be strong enough to lift an
automobile. Dead part of nails, on the other hand, are very brittle and
rigid, breaking off easily. Hair are countless (upto 125,000 on head
region alone), thereby increasing the surface area. Hair protects us
against the harmful Ultra Violet radiations and skin cancer while the
dead part of the nails do not seem to provide a similar functionality.
The
differences between the two do not end with the structural features.
Even the body’s response towards the two is totally different. Our body,
throughout life, tries to maintain a particular length of hair. Every
individual has a specific length for hair. Once the hair reaches its
specific length, it stops growing. If the hair is cut, the body responds
by growing it again to the specific length. It clearly indicates the
link of the body with the hair all along its length. The body shows no
such response to the nails, which grow from birth to death at the same
rate, irrespective of whether cut or not. It follows, thus, that cutting
of the dead part of nails does not tell on the body at all, whereas,
cutting of hair puts extra load on the body. To sum up, if there is
anything on the head that can be compared with the dead part of nails,
it is either dandruff or dead hair which are removed by combing.
Nature
knows best what to retain or discard. Whatever is retained is not
without purpose. Hair is a gift from God, not a burden. Guru Gobind Singh Ji,
in his infinite wisdom, instructed us to respect hair and refrain from
tampering with it. This is the visible token of his affection for us, as
well as our faith in him.
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